DHARMA PRODUCTIONS JUNGLEE PICTURES DIRECTED BY MEGHNA GULZAR SCREENPLAY BHAVANI IYER & MEGHNA GULZAR DIALOGUE MEGHNA GULZAR BASED ON THE NOVEL “CALLING SEHMAT” BY HARINDER S SIKKA © Meghna Gulzar 2017 FADE IN: 1 INT. PAK ARMY HQ - SITUATION ROOM - EVENING Title Card: February 1971. Pakistan. A series of pictures, black-and-white, low exposure but clearly outlining two figures and faces that are in deep conversation are seen on an old fashioned projector screen. Uniformed top brass from all the defense services (Army, Navy and Air Force) and Pakistan’s Intelligence sit around a table, being briefed by BRIGADIER SYED (57), tall hard-eyed with a striking military bearing in his uniform. The meeting is already in session. Syed clicks a button to zoom in on one of the men in the projected photograph. SYED Bangaal mein aazaadi ki tehreek zor pakad rahi hai. Vahaan Awami League ki khufiya Military Council ke rehnuma ye shakhs hain – Colonel Usmani. Lt. GENERAL AMIR BEIG (68), grey-haired with cold eyes looks at the image. BEIG Election bhi jeet chuke hain. Inki neeyat kya hai? The other senior leaders at the table murmur similarly. SYED Mujibur Rahman ne apne saath kuchh aise log jama kar liye hain, jo ab apne-aap ko Mukti fauj kehlate hain... (looks around) Mukti - aazaadi.. Sniggers around the room. Syed clicks for the picture to zoom in to the other face, only partially seen. SYED (CONT’D) Aur ye shakhs hai Khalid Mir... Iski padtaal rakhna bahaut zaroori hai. Ye Hindustan ke Intelligence ke bade afsar hain... Murmurs around the room. Lt. General Beig looks taken aback. BEIG Usmani aur Mujibur Rehman Hindustan se baat kar rahe hain? Syed nods. 2. SYED Hamein mautbar zariye se maaloom hua hai ke Hindustani vazir-e-azam bhi Bangaal ko leke koi program bana rahi hain... BEIG (cuts in) Lekin unke paron se hava nikalna humein bhi aata hai! Khaariaan se 2 Infantry Divisions ko Bangaal ravaana karne ki soch rahe hain. Everyone looks interested. On the grainy image of Mir on the projection. CUT TO: 2 EXT. STREETS OF RAWALPINDI - EVENING A black sedan car drives through the streets of Rawalpindi, passing interesting visuals, distinctive shops. Seated inside is HIDAYAT KHAN (51), thoughtful and pensive. CUT TO: 3 EXT. MAIN BAZAAR - EVENING The car stops in a market place. NAFISA (45), attractive with world-weary eyes, standing at the cashier counter nods her head in acknowledgement. Hidayat reciprocates and moves into to shop. He's greeted by SARVAR (50), wise-eyed, salt-and- pepper hair, dressed in local attire, who greets Hidayat warmly. HIDAYAT Salaamalekum! Ek kilo sohan halva chahiye Sarvar bhai... SARVAR Ji sarkar – ek carton abhi abhi aaya hai Multan se... Hidayat watches as Sarvar packs up the box. HIDAYAT Iss baar hum apni beti ko bhi chakhaane vaale hain... Hidayat coughs slightly. Sarvar nods to Hidayat as he hands the box to him. Hidayat pays up and leaves. CUT TO: 3. 4 EXT. PAK ARMY HQ - EVENING Hidayat's car is seen entering the gates of the Army HQ. CUT TO: 5 INT. PAK ARMY HQ - EVENING A cough escapes Hidayat despite his effort to control it. He holds his side, waiting for the spasm to pass. A young SOLDIER looks at Hidayat. SOLDIER Kuchh laaun janaab? Brigadier Sahab nikalte hi honge... Hidayat shakes his head in the negative, smiling with effort. As if on cue, an inner door opens and Syed marches out. The Soldier, and others around, immediately stand to attention. Syed barely notices them, moving to Hidayat, smiling with warmth. SYED Aah yaar mera! Khushaamdeed! Hidayat gets to his feet and returns Syed's embrace as he sputters into another bout of coughing. SYED (CONT’D) Kya baat hai? Tabiyat kuchh naasaaz lagti hai... The two men move to the door. HIDAYAT Ho jaaegi... Theek ho jaaegi... The moment, they are alone, Hidayat turns to Syed. HIDAYAT (CONT’D) Aap sunaayein... sab khairiyat hai na? CUT TO: 5A INT. PAK ARMY HQ - CORRIDOR - EVENING As they walk down the corridor, Syed looks to ensure there is no one around. Offering laung to Hidayat from a dibbi, Syed says in a low voice - SYED Hidayat... hamaare beherya afsar Rusul Amin par tumhari pichhli khabar bilkul sahi nikli. (MORE) 4. SYED (CONT'D) Woh gaddar Pakistani navy chhodkar Mukti fauj se ja juda hai. Hidayat simply nods in acknowledgement. As Syed leans closer and says - SYED (CONT’D) Apne mukhbir se kuchh aur information nikalva ke do... HIDAYAT Kis baare mein? SYED Hindustan Mujibur Rehman ki madad kar raha hai... uski azaadi ki hasrat poori karne ke liye... Hidayat looks surprised. SYED (CONT’D) Unka plan kya hai... pata lagaana hai... HIDAYAT Hmmm... SYED Agar India ne hamare androoni maamlaat mein dakhal diya... toh ye dakhalandaazi bahaut mehengi padegi unhe... Hidayat nods. HIDAYAT Main badi ehtiyaat se iski khabar nikalunga aur aapko ittala kar doonga... SYED Vaise, iska ek pehlu aur bhi hai Hidayat... personal... ke aisi koi information agar main hasil kar loon, toh mera next Major General hona kisi hadd tak yakini ho jaaega! HIDAYAT Inshallah, aisa hi hoga Syed bhai... Main aaj hi Kashmir vaapas jaa raha hoon... pahonchte hi khabar nikaalna shuru kar doonga... (then) Aur haan... agle jumme kuchh aur khacchar sarhad paar karenge, uss mein aapka Kashmiri gaaleecha... (MORE) 5. HIDAYAT (CONT'D) aur zafran... Inshallah, voh bhi aa jaaega! Syed smiles, pleased. SYED Navaazish aapki! Allahtaala taufeeq de aapko... aapke business mein taraqqi de... aur hamaari paaq dosti bani rahe. Pakistan se aapka bhaichaara qaayam rahe! HIDAYAT Hamesha Syed bhai! Badkismati se hamaari sarhad ki lakeerein vahaan nahin hain, jahan kheenchi jaani chahiye theen... SYED Voh bhi badal jaaenge. Aur bachpan ki tarah, hamaare ghar ke aangan phir jud jaaenge, Inshallah! Hidayat looks thoughtful at Syed's cryptic but confident words. CUT TO: 5B EXT. PAK ARMY HQ - COMPOUND - EVENING Syed and Hidayat step out into the compound and walk towards Hidayat's waiting car. SYED Ab hamaare laaik koi khidmat ho to bataaein. Something makes Hidayat come to a decision. He turns to Syed as they reach the car and stand by it. The DRIVER is standing a small distance away, at attention. HIDAYAT Syed bhai... Ek khwaaish hai... jo guzaarish bhi ho sakti hai... Hidayat coughs a little again as he says this. Syed looks at Hidayat with concern and perplexity. HIDAYAT (CONT’D) Yun hai... mere lung mein tumour mila hai... cigarette vigrette toh kabhi pi nahin... (laughs) Shaayad zindagi ke kash kuchh lambe le liye... 6. Syed places a hand on Hidayat's arm, clearly affected by the news. SYED Main doctor toh nahin... ek dost ki haisiyat se kisi kaam aa sakun to kahein... Hidayat looks at Syed, a small smile on his face. HIDAYAT (draws a breath) Jis tarah mere kandhey par haath rakha hai... main chahta hoon meri beti Sehmat ke sar pe haath rakh dein... Aur apne chhote bete Iqbal ke liye, apni panaah mein le lein usey... CUT TO: 6 EXT. STREETS LEADING TO PAK BORDER - NIGHT The car zooms through the liquid streets with the moon beaming blue. CUT TO: 7 INT/EXT. HIDAYAT'S CAR - NIGHT Hidayat sits in the back seat, looking out as the car zooms through the dark roads. His words to Syed play back in his head. HIDAYAT (O.S.) Badi paaq rooh hai Sehmat... Jis ghar mein hogi, uss ghar ki aabroo ban jaaegi. CUT TO: 8 EXT. PAK ARMY HQ - COMPOUND - EVENING Syed looks at Hidayat, stricken by his words and the offer. HIDAYAT Jaanta hoon, mere har ek lafz mein baap ka laad goonjta hai... lekin Sehmat ke baare mein kahi meri har baat aap sacch paaenge... Syed smiles with the understanding of a father. Hidayat takes Syed’s hands in his. 7. HIDAYAT (CONT’D) Zindagi mein jo bhi kiya ya paaya, bhai sahab... CUT TO: 9 INT/EXT. HIDAYAT’S CAR - INDIAN BORDER AREA - DAWN The car drives through a mountainous countryside as a border post appears in the distance. HIDAYAT (O.S.) ...mera sabse bada fakhr meri Sehmat hai! A strange smile skews his handsome face. Hidayat’s driver presents the documents to the guard at the border post. Hidayat gets out of the car and crosses over to the Indian side. At a distance another car awaits him. He gets in and drives away into the breaking dawn. CUT TO: 10 EXT. HIDAYAT'S HOME - AFTERNOON Title Card: February, 1971. Srinagar, India. A nondescript car is parked in the compound of a beautiful bungalow. Beside it is the black car that Hidayat had traveled in from Pakistan. MIR (O.S.) Main kya kahoon Hidayat... Ajeeb baat kar di tumne... CUT TO: 10A INT. HIDAYAT’S HOME - LIVING ROOM - AFTERNOON KHALID MIR (45), statuesque and imposing in his demeanor, looks at Hidayat in disbelief. Standing by Mir is MAJOR NIKHIL BAKSHI (24), a silent, junior observer. SAIRA, the helper, is setting up tea on the large centre table in the room. Hidayat - dressed in Kashmiri attire - an exquisite shawl covering his shoulders, coughing intermittently, looks resolute even as Mir reacts in shock. Mir shakes his head in a firm negative. 8. MIR India ke liye suraag lagaana, uske liye Pakistan mein contacts banaaye rakhna, aur baat hai. Lekin ek masoom ladki ko, jisey jaasoosi ka ilm bhi nahin... usey ek Pakistani Brigadier ke ghar me byahna... (shakes his head again) Beti hai tumhaari Hidayat! HIDAYAT Ek Hindustani pehle hai... Mir looks at him in silent awe as Hidayat adds - HIDAYAT (CONT’D) Aap nahin jaante ye vaqt Hindustan ke liye kitna aham hai..